[BreachExchange] Anonymous hacker exposed after dropping USB drive while throwing Molotov cocktail

[Destry Winant]

https://www.zdnet.com/article/anonymous-hacker-exposed-after-dropping-usb-drive-while-throwing-molotov-cocktail/

In a bizarre investigation, Belgium police have identified a member of
the Anonymous Belgium hacker collective while investigating an arson
case at a local bank.

The perpetrator, a 35-year-old man from the Belgian city of Roeselare,
was initially arrested after throwing a Molotov cocktail at the Crelan
Bank office in Rumbeke, a suburb of Roeselare, back in 2014.

Police tracked down the suspect because he dropped a USB thumb drive
on the ground while/after throwing the Molotov cocktail.

Data on the thumb drive led police to a local man identified in court
documents only by Brecht S..

LOST USB THUMB DRIVE LEADS POLICE TO ANONYMOUS HACKER

A subsequent house search and investigation into the man's background
and computer devices revealed a long history of cyber-crimes.

They said that in addition to throwing a Molotov cocktail at a Crelan
Bank office, Brecht also launched DDoS attacks against Crelan's
e-banking portal, bringing the site down for hours on numerous
ocassions.

In court, Brecht said he attacked the bank because Crelan officials
refused to meet with him following the disappearance of €300,000
($342,000) from his mother's bank account following the divorce from
his father. He justified the attacks as revenge for his mother's
financial losses.

The man's penchant for launching DDoS attacks wasn't an isolated case,
though, according to the prosecution.

Belgian police said the man was also an active member of the Anonymous
Belgium and Cyber Crew hacking groups, participating in some of their
past operations, including one aimed at FIFA, the international
soccer/football federation.

Brecht also orchestrated DDoS extortions, with one aimed at an unnamed
pizza restaurant. Investigators said the suspect attacked and brought
down the restaurant's website with DDoS attacks on numerous occasions,
and asked for a ransom payment to stop his attacks.

POLICE ALSO TRACK DOWN CO-CONSPIRATOR

The investigation into Brecht also exposed a co-conspirator -- a
44-year-old man from Bruges, with whom Brecht had exchanged hacking
tools in the past via Facebook.

According to Belgian news site Het Laatste Nieuws, the two were
involved in many other cyber-attacks, but investigators couldn't pin
or confirm some of these incidents because Facebook refused to
cooperate in the investigation.

HLN reported last week that Brecht received an 18 months prison
sentence for his cyber-crimes, and was ordered to pay €3,000 ($3,400)
to Crelan Bank as compensation for the e-banking portal's downtime.

Brecht's recent jail term will be added on top of a three-year prison
sentence for arson (related to throwing the Molotov cocktail). The
first sentence's execution was delayed so Brecht could receive
counseling for psychological problems.

Brecht's co-conspirator, the 44-year-old man from Brugge, was let off
without a prison sentence, being ordered to pay a €1,200 ($1,370)
fine.